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Former Cricketer Asks England Not To Indulge In Fights With Virat Kohli

image-lr909vknVirat Kohli (x.com)

Former spinner Graeme Swann has advised the current England team to refrain themselves from engaging with fiery Indian competitor Virat Kohli. The England cricket team, under charismatic leader Ben Stokes, is slated to tour India later this month for a five-match Test series against the hosts.


Swann asks England to avoid confrontations with Kohli

Former spinner Graeme Swann was part of England’s historic Test series win in India back in 2012. The cricketer-turned-commentator recently advised Ben Stokes’ active troops to not engage Virat Kohli with any verbal battle in their upcoming tour.

Swann claimed that Kohli revels in the heat of the battle and implied that any interaction with the Indian batting legend can only backfire the English team. 

While speaking on the Sky Sports podcast, he recalled the advice he used to get during his own playing for England, saying:

“We had been earlier told beforehand to not say anything to this bloke (Virat Kohli) because he absolutely revels in a battle in the field,” Swann said while speaking on the Sky Sports podcast.


The England team is set to travel to India for a five-match Test series, and the fixtures will also constitute a part of the ongoing 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

The first of the five matches will be played between January 25 and January 29 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Back in December 2023, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) picked up a formidable 16-player squad for India tour. Under Ben Stokes, the team features a healthy amalgamation of experience and youth. 


Here is a look at England’s entire squad for the five-match Test series:

Ben Stokes (c), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Joe Root, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes (wk), Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood.

Virat Kohli, meanwhile, is currently slated to play a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. The cricketer recently emerged as India’s highest run-scorer in the Tests in South Africa.